I started volunteering at Buffalo Psychiatric Center in October. My first day was Orientation, learning the HIPPA rules and watching an interesting video about the history, and location of the campus. I was placed into the New Beginnings program which is located in the Butler building. My first day there was an amazing experience. I was one on one with patients. The patients in New Beginnings are out patients and come to group therapy, hobbies, or music/ art therapy. I started working in hobbies which was great. I spent time for two hours a week working with patients and staff with hobbies. From sewing to painting I got to know patients. I helped them with patience issues and for them to show their talents and skills. Many of the men love to work outside with labor work. Most of the men enjoyed painting , fixing, and working with wood. The woman sewed a variety of things, painted ceramics, made change purses and wallets. I enjoyed spending time with the patients and getting to understand them more. It was interesting to see the different patients with their different problems. Also to see who was constant with coming and who I have failed to see. I love hearing success stories about getting discharged to their own apartment or even being able to get into a apartment on campus. Each patient makes me love going their everyday.
During our winter break I added more hours on and went on Thursday afternoons. I worked with a women named Elizabeth and wet to group therapies with her. Our first group was goal settings. We talked about what goals they had and how to obtain them. The groups are smaller but very personable. Most of the patients communicate very well and stay on task. We try to work with the patients to change the concrete thinking to more abstract. Some of the goals range from taking their meds everyday or getting an apartment. With the new year we stressed on keeping their new years resolutions and focusing on the positives they hold and to keep those. The second half of the after noon is a vocational exploration group. We talk about jobs, how to obtain them after being away for a long period of time and where they should look first. We first talked about how volunteering is always a great start to get yourself back out there. This again is a smaller group and give many opportunities for the patients to express their questions or concerns about this topic. I really enjoyed this group so I decided to stay with Thursdays for the rest of my hours. I love that Elizabeth involves me in the discussions and I get to state my own goals and search for a job, I see that the patients can connect with me and gives them the push to express themselves in class. There was some time where I was on alert, I am not scared about being there more just on guard to things that might happen. I put my trust to the staff with the certain situations that happened. Other then that I am looking forward to working with these patients the rest of the semester.
1/18
Today I was able to work in the hospital. It was Martin Luther King Jr. day so the treatment mall was closed. Elizabeth and I worked in the basement for most of the day. The basement is a recreational area for the patients. It has pool tables, a TV, and sometimes music. I was able to sit and talk with patients and get to know them. I played cards with a couple of the patients for a while. It was very interesting to observe their behaviors and what they said to me. For some it was to difficult to just play cards, or even to color. Other played pool or even went outside to get some fresh air. This was a chance for the patients to enjoy a holiday and have some time off. I ate lunch with some of the staff and was asked about certain things that went on. After lunch we went over to New Beginnings. Again because it was a holiday we had a big group therapy about Martin Luther King Jr. Many patients of the group was very interested and participated. This is where I saw the thinking processes of the patients. I enjoyed this day because I met a lot of new patients and had some great observational time.
1/19- 1/20
On Tuesday I had my last hobbies day. I helped a couple of women paint their ceramics. I have become close with this women and helped her finish a project she has been working on for weeks. She told me at the start she loved to paint when she was younger but her fine motor skills have weakened. She did an amazing job and really loved her final work. I also met another women who loved to sew and started making a pillow. She has been gone for a while and was now back coming to classes. I love to see the progress that I see in these patients and how far they come. One of the men that are in the Thursday groups I met back in October. He was a quiet stand off man and now in January he is getting his own apartment and participates in almost every discussion. These are the stories that make me love this field and love spending time here.
Today I spend a couple hours at the hospital. I spent time in geriatrics, we did a group about brain games. This is keeping the elderly patients exercising their minds and getting them out and learning. We had three separate sheets, one being a word find about winter items, one being a image finders with picture examples, and third being another harder picture finder with no examples just the word of the images you need to find. This strengthens their thinking to more abstract rather then concrete. A women in the group was there since she was 18 years old, she is now in her sixties. This is terrible in my eyes because she has no urge to go back into the community. I hope this changes as they say it is because some of the patients have been there their entire life and the hospital isn’t a hotel or a living place for the state to pay. So far working there I see what the state needs to change but I am also happy with the positive things that are going on.
1/21Today I worked in new beginnings with Elizabeth. I came for the second morning group and stayed for the afternoon groups. The morning group was based on speaking up. Today we talked about speaking up using letters, letters to voice ones opinion about a product or service. The patients all read examples and help the instructor form a example letter on the board. Many of the students were engaged with the discussion and gave a lot of good points. Next I had my lunch in the hospital with all of the other staff. What was interesting was walking on to the floor the patients waiting for their next group. Many of them pacing back and forth, mumbling words to me and Elizabeth, and even trying to follow us. This was great observational time for me to see what some of the patients act like , and in some cases how the medicine effects them. Many patients I’ve seen are on heavy medication and sometimes drool, dry mouth, speech decline, slower movements, and sometimes fatigue. After lunch we went back to new beginnings and had the afternoon classes, the first one was based on goals. We talked about how earlier this week we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. and the what his goal was toward equality and nonviolence. We asked the patients what were their future goals, and what we goals for say tomorrow or later this evening. The patients we very active in discussion and seemed to like to share their ideas. The common theme of discharge was among the goals but also getting a job or apartment was next. I love to see that many of these patients want to get back out into the real world and live their own life rather then being stuck in a hospital. The second afternoon group was held by a speaker. The speakers were from Action for Mental Health Inc., they focus on peer groups for out patients. They hold groups everyday , each day being a different condition. Also they have the opportunity for patients to volunteer to be a peer leader and help other patients who are in the hospital. It was an interesting group, many of the patients seemed to be very interested. A couple of the patients spoke out a lot and were talking of delusional points. It was interesting to see how one patients kept trying to bring the subject matter back to her life and how she was dealt terrible cards in life. This patient has been known to be very attention seeking and demanding. Other patients seemed to really want to go to the groups and be able to talk amongst other peers about their own problems and where to go from discharge. I really enjoyed today and loved talking and interacting with the patients. Another successful day!
1/27-1/28Wednesday was great at the hospital. I worked with Elizabeth and with the geriatrics patients. We worked on brain games. There is a man who each week doesn’t seem motivated to anything just wants to sit there. This week we brought in this coloring book. He shot up and was excited to color. It wasn’t just a child coloring book but more advanced. Before being omitted into the hospital he was very into music and art. He was very talented and glad to finally get something he likes. Other used the national geographic magazines to pick out favorite animals or plants. Many of the older women seemed to love that. One man tried his hardest on a picture puzzle in which you had to slide the blocks around to get the picture to be correct. He was very good at it but was stuck at the end. I think these activities were very useful in exercising their minds and trying to get the patients to think abstractly.
Thursday was a shorter day because of the snow but we participated in two groups. The first one discussed failure and how to overcome it. Recently a patient wanted to obtain a place of his own but things fell through for him and he cannot. We used this class to show him as an example and what he can do from here. We had hand outs for Tips and Suggestions for not letting failure put you down. Many of the patients seemed fine with discussing past failures. Some examples were failing a test in school, failing a driver’s test, and failing to commit to something promised. This group seems to always be attentive but some members seem to be caught up in outside stimuli such as cars driving by, other people outside, and animals by the window. Many also have a constant paranoia with whose in the hallway, if they are in the right room, and the time. It is interesting to see possible triggers for these patients. This is something doctors and nurses keep in mind when deciding to let discharge available to them. Later that afternoon a speaker came in from DePaul housing in buffalo. They help patients look and find an apartment for themselves. They furnish and get the place ready for the patient and they have a payee who keeps track of the person’s money. Over time that person will become his/her own payee. I think this is great because after discharge many don’t know where to go, either they do not have family who would take them in or landlords who won’t let them live in their building. DePaul is a great place for these outpatients to get back in the community and still have a helping hand till they learn proper budgeting and necessary things to live out in the real world. Another great week, great observational time.
Thursday was a shorter day because of the snow but we participated in two groups. The first one discussed failure and how to overcome it. Recently a patient wanted to obtain a place of his own but things fell through for him and he cannot. We used this class to show him as an example and what he can do from here. We had hand outs for Tips and Suggestions for not letting failure put you down. Many of the patients seemed fine with discussing past failures. Some examples were failing a test in school, failing a driver’s test, and failing to commit to something promised. This group seems to always be attentive but some members seem to be caught up in outside stimuli such as cars driving by, other people outside, and animals by the window. Many also have a constant paranoia with whose in the hallway, if they are in the right room, and the time. It is interesting to see possible triggers for these patients. This is something doctors and nurses keep in mind when deciding to let discharge available to them. Later that afternoon a speaker came in from DePaul housing in buffalo. They help patients look and find an apartment for themselves. They furnish and get the place ready for the patient and they have a payee who keeps track of the person’s money. Over time that person will become his/her own payee. I think this is great because after discharge many don’t know where to go, either they do not have family who would take them in or landlords who won’t let them live in their building. DePaul is a great place for these outpatients to get back in the community and still have a helping hand till they learn proper budgeting and necessary things to live out in the real world. Another great week, great observational time.
2/3-2/4
This week at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center was very interesting to me. I started out on Wednesday at the hospital working again with geriatrics which is something I am beginning to love. The patients are very kind and wonderful to work with. We used many different techniques that stimulate the patients. Many of them have come to enjoy and love coloring. They have a great imagination with coloring still life pictures or a variety of different scenes. Also we used the game perfection, this was a great game to use for coordination and shape recognition. Many of the patients seemed to enjoy this very well and It became a competition amongst the staff too. The behavior of the group is calm most to none of the patients are a problem. Many need assistance with walking too and from group or to the bathroom. The men on the unit are intelligent men and enjoy doing art type projects and listening to music. The women love to color or to read magazines. I really enjoy working with this floor and they seem to have a fondness of me too.
Thursday I arrived at new beginnings in the morning and sat in on Dr. Kost Anger management group. This was very interesting because I got to observe his teaching methods and see the patients behavior. The first thing that happened was that a older man made a comment about being a guinea pig to me. This interested me to observe his paranoid personality. Any time he spoke it was always referred to something someone said. The other members in he group we attentive and focused on what the Doctor was teaching. Dr. Kost used behavior therapy in his classes. The patients seemed to like him a lot and seemed to relate and take a lot from the discussion. This was a great learning experience. After the group me and Dr. Kost spoke about my future and what my plans were. He gave me lots of great tips for the upcoming years. At one o clock I sat in with a different group then usual. I helped watch the patients in the wellness center. This was built for patients to exercise after or before group. I observed a lot of behaviors here, many of the patients seemed to lose track of what they were doing. Some seemed to over do it with out realizing but other seemed to work by themselves well and complete what they wanted without assistance. This was a great time to meet patients I haven’t yet seen and spend time with the ones I have. Finally I had a night group with my supervisor Elizabeth on the second floor. This is where the new omitted patients are brought. Many of the off the streets, or out from jail. These patients haven’t been to treatment yet and are being assessed. This was intimidating at first but turned out to be a great learning experience. I saw variety of patients. Patients who wouldn’t talk at all, who paced the floor, who couldn’t stop talking, or who were anger to have to be there. Elizabeth and I talking about attitude in the group, we mentioned how a positive attitude makes any situation better. That dwelling on the past and mistakes will only make it worst. Many of the patients seemed to understand and relate to what we were saying. One of the patients didn’t want anything to do with what we said, stood in the back of the room tapping their foot and talking amongst themselves. The second floor was interesting to see with how new they were to the system. There was many young patients who are very sick. Not only do I care about what I am learning from these patients I actually do care about them as people. A women I have seen since the my first day was discharged over this weekend. The smile on her face when she told us was worth every second being there. The success stories are the great ones and makes me enjoy my passion of Psychology even more.
2/10-2/11This was great, first on Wednesday I was at the hospital with Elizabeth and working with the geriatrics. Many of the patients have told us this is their favorite group of the week because they get to relax and spend time doing things they like. We have a variety of things for the patients to do such as coloring, books, puzzles, games, and or just listening to music. This week everyone of the patients came to the table and joined in. usually many of them just sit and fall asleep or don’t want to do anything. I was happy to met new patients and get an idea of where they are in treatment. One of the women I was told had MR and it is hard to communicate with her because she has a hard time hearing. Another woman speaks Spanish so it is hard to get her what she wants. A lot of the men seem to love to listen to music and play with the puzzles. I spoke with a few of them and got the overall idea that they have been there a long time and wouldn’t know what to do if they got discharged. Many have issues with walking and would have a issue with taking care of themselves on their own. I really like all of these patients because they are open and willing to talk and enjoy being in this group.
On Thursday I spent all day with Elizabeth again and we stayed in new beginnings in groups. The morning groups were quiet many of the patients went on outing in the communities but it was still great to get one on one time with some of patients I haven’t had an opportunity to talk with. One of them men is really quiet and I see what long term use of medicine has done to him. He walks very slow, speaks slow, and this though processes are slow. He is very nice and sincere but sometimes takes a push to open up. He is very paranoid because he is always looking outside and out in the hallway. He constantly asks who everyone is and why they are here and also doesn’t have many memories from when he was a child. The other man has serious brain trauma when he was a teenager and has a hard time reading. His memory is effected to from the trauma, he cannot remember anytime about the accident or the time period around it. He is fixated on moving into his own apartment and no matter what conversation we are having he brings it back to his apartment. The afternoon groups were just spent talking about moving along in discharge and goals. Many of the patients have the same goals and it’s good to see some of them actually making a step towards accomplishing it. The speaker was from a group which hold own sessions after patients are on their own. This was great but some of the patients are close to getting discharged so this excites them too much. But overall when they get out I think it’s great that they are not alone and they still have connections to peers. Another great week of observation! Being here is a constant learning experience.
On Thursday I spent all day with Elizabeth again and we stayed in new beginnings in groups. The morning groups were quiet many of the patients went on outing in the communities but it was still great to get one on one time with some of patients I haven’t had an opportunity to talk with. One of them men is really quiet and I see what long term use of medicine has done to him. He walks very slow, speaks slow, and this though processes are slow. He is very nice and sincere but sometimes takes a push to open up. He is very paranoid because he is always looking outside and out in the hallway. He constantly asks who everyone is and why they are here and also doesn’t have many memories from when he was a child. The other man has serious brain trauma when he was a teenager and has a hard time reading. His memory is effected to from the trauma, he cannot remember anytime about the accident or the time period around it. He is fixated on moving into his own apartment and no matter what conversation we are having he brings it back to his apartment. The afternoon groups were just spent talking about moving along in discharge and goals. Many of the patients have the same goals and it’s good to see some of them actually making a step towards accomplishing it. The speaker was from a group which hold own sessions after patients are on their own. This was great but some of the patients are close to getting discharged so this excites them too much. But overall when they get out I think it’s great that they are not alone and they still have connections to peers. Another great week of observation! Being here is a constant learning experience.
2/17-2/18
On Wednesday I went in early to new beginnings and spent the day with another supervisor Leo. I had a men’s group which was super interesting because I saw a lot of their conceptions about women, their hopes and goals of being a good man. The next hour was an outing on a walk. I walked with a man and was able to have a one on one with him. He had multiple delusions about owning his own company, owning a Mercedes, and his mother being in the mafia. He spoke of things such as going to school for film production, he wants to own his own one day. He seemed very sincere and truthful but things didn’t add it. This was great to see how bad delusions can be how much they affect the lives on the sick.
On Thursday I spent all day at new beginnings with Elizabeth and enjoyed the usual groups. Groups were interesting because the same man from the day before was stirring up the groups. The afternoon group with a speaker he wouldn’t let the women talk and kept explaining his delusional ideas of his life and why he was in there. One of the groups we chose to use scrabble as a relaxation game. It was remarkable because everyone participated; even the men who were always quiet and didn’t do much in groups played. Many of patients made it a competition but the great thing was they helped each other to get words and spell words correctly. This was the first time I saw patients spend time with each other and enjoy it. To another great week.
On Thursday I spent all day at new beginnings with Elizabeth and enjoyed the usual groups. Groups were interesting because the same man from the day before was stirring up the groups. The afternoon group with a speaker he wouldn’t let the women talk and kept explaining his delusional ideas of his life and why he was in there. One of the groups we chose to use scrabble as a relaxation game. It was remarkable because everyone participated; even the men who were always quiet and didn’t do much in groups played. Many of patients made it a competition but the great thing was they helped each other to get words and spell words correctly. This was the first time I saw patients spend time with each other and enjoy it. To another great week.
2/24 Today was a short day, me and Elizabeth worked on the geriatrics unit again. Today was a great day. I got to talk to a lot of patients. Everyone seemed to be in a positive mood and willing to participate. I spoke with a very intelligent man, he told me of all the schooling he had. This makes me sad to see him still in the hospital and never had the chance to use his knowledge. We had a wonderful conversation about psychology. He suffers from Bi-polar, many times through the conversation her would go off on another topic and seem to not make sense. One thing I notice is the sense of humor with a lot of the patients. Most are very light hearted and seem to love the time they get to relax and listen to music. Again today was a short day but very fun and enjoyable like always.
3/3-3/4 This week was great. Wednesday I worked on the 2nd floor like each week. Seemed to be more patients today, the weather was chilly and many wanted to get off their floor. We worked on mazes; this is a great activity to help with cognitive functions. The process of thinking through the next move is great for this age group. Many have lost a lot of the common function with either their age or their condition. Many of the women seemed to love having me there, I spoke with Spanish women who somehow got stuck in buffalo and hasn’t seen her home in years. She was very kind; she suffered from major depression, and is in the process of dementia. She still has a hard time with speaking English so my knowledge of some of the Spanish language gave her an opportunity to talk to someone. The rest of the group flowed well, once we had a man who refused to do anything, he raised his voice and began to speak about his delusion, this again was very interesting to watch.
Thursday was a long but enjoyable day. I spent most of my day in new beginnings like always and went through groups. At one of the groups I was asked to lead it. this was very exciting because it was a chance to see how the patient react to what I say. My first goal was to get everyone involved. I wanted everyone to get up and participate, many of the patients are known to just sit and listen and never say a word. I started out the group with what my goals are for the day, what they are for this week, and for this year. I then used the front board to explain what needs are and what are wants. I showed them that there is a difference, I then asked for volunteers to first put one need they think everyone needs, then to write a list of things they wants. I had a lot of patients volunteering; many of them put the basic needs such as food, shelter, clothes, health, and communication. One patient seemed to explain that you cannot live without human interaction, you need to love and be loved. I thought this was an amazing point. On the list of things that are wants I saw things like a nice home, a family, gym/trainer, a vehicle, money, unlimited credit, own chef and cleaner, perfect teeth and appearance. This was important because goals are great when thought about but to see them and write them down makes them a little closer to becoming true. It was great to see so many of them were worried about appearance, this is a big step because a lot of the patients at BPC do not care or want to fix their appearance. Later in the day I worked on the 2 unit new admissions, this was great as always. Most of the patients on this unit have not started treatment, so i see many behavior symptoms, hitting themselves, pacing the floor, talking to themselves, yelling out phrases that doesn't apply to conversation, and staring or drooling. Most of the time it is very hard to get the patients to interact and stay focused because of these symptoms and distractions, many of them are walking in and out of the room constantly. I really do enjoy this hour even though it is a big scary at times.
3/11 Today I was with another worker named Leo; I spent the day with him and his groups. In the morning we worked with patients in the wellness center. As stated before we watch behavior and help with patients as they swim, or work out. It is interesting to see the pacing and the mannerisms with this. Many of the men in the pool have to be told to stop because of swimming 10 to 15 laps and not realizing. We have to be careful with the women who are obsessive about weight loss. Many of the medications have a side effect of weight gain with spurs many of the patients to come to wellness to try and prevent this. I really find this area interesting because this has a lot of high functioning patients. It is really good to see patients who were in the hospital for years and still come back to the BPC community. I like to see that they are still using the resources we offer to keep them healthy. Later on the night group Leo and I had the 2 unit ward, this was intense because we had the entire ward instead of it being split up. This was a great chance to see how the patients interacted with being in a big group. Leo did a great job trying to include everyone. Many of the patients left and ended up going and walking the floor. Some of them really seemed to be interesting and had a lot to say. The patients in the back would have conversation with themselves which was very distracting to the others, it was interesting to see some of the patients who I cannot really tell that something is wrong with. They are very polite, participate in the discussions, and help to clean up. It will be interesting to keep my eye on them and see if they are getting discharged or moved to another unit. Another great week and the BPC
3/17 -3/18 Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today was very good; it seemed that a lot of the patients were very festive and excited. The warm weather has a lot of people up and about. I again worked on the 2nd floor with the elderly. This week we worked on Holiday Mazes, and word searches. In the group we had Irish music playing which got a lot of the patients singing and smiling. Another intern was there from UB and It was great to talk about what he has noticed and not. This was a short group because many of the patients left early. After group I sat in on a lecture with Leo. This lecture was about cognitive behavior therapy. This was very interesting; I learned a lot more then what I had been taught. The psychiatric gave tips to how the therapist can do better, what to keep focused on and reasons behind some of the patient’s actions. It was interesting to see how a lot of the mental illnesses affect things such as memory, sensory functions, learning abilities, and things such as shifting. He demonstrated that high functions individuals can see a distraction and still be able to continue in a conversation, while doing something with their hands, and making sure their audience is aware. Many of the patients have a hard time keeping all of those balanced and seem to fixate on one thing at a time. The lecture was defiantly benefiting. It was great to see the sun shining and everyone wearing green today!
Fall 2010
10/4- 10/10
This week I began my fall internship. I am working again with Elizabeth and Leo. On Monday's i am working in strozzi on the second floor admission unit. On Tuesday and Thursday's I am in New beginnings. The first week was great, I took some time away from the center over the summer to focus on my job. It feels great to be back and to be working again with the patience. This time around Elizabeth is putting me more in charge of the groups and being more active in discussion. This week was based on getting back into the pace of the hospital and seeing what they have done in the few weeks i was away.
10/11-10/17
This week was really the first week back to work, i spent time finding topics to bring up in group and doing some outside homework for later in the week. Monday in the hospital was really exciting. I saw alot of new patients and saw alot of interesting behavior. Some of the patients were young which is very sad. Tuesday is spent with leo in a positive attitudes group. We had the school day off so we stayed longer that day. We try and bring issues up in group that will come into their life at some point, teach them what they might expect to feel, or see, and then tell them the reasonable way to handle those situations. In group we had one patient who was very sick, he kept bothering another intern next to me, saying inappropriate things and making us feel uncomfortable. By the mid group he was asked to leave. Other patients were pleasant and listened attentively. Thursday was a great day, we were in a group about life struggles. one women in the group we met outside and she asked about us and if we were students. then when we saw her in the group she did not remember us and we had the same conversation again as we did outside. She brought up her husband who died and how that is why she was there. Very interesting patient. Me and a fellow classmate did an activity with the group about quotations and what they meant to them. of course there was a few patients that did not answer and refused to even read the paper. the group was very positive and seem to effect the patients. Great week!
10/18-10/24
Another great week, nothing great happened, everyone seemed to be doing great. The weather was wonderful so you see alot of the patients in a better mood. Many like to go outside and get fresh air. The attendance at new beginnings is always alot higher when the weather is nice. All the groups went well, everyone was attentive and participating. A couple patients who usually pass on reading or speaking, spoke up and shared their feelings on the articles we brought in. All and all a good week.
10/25-10/31
With Halloween a few days away everyone was in the spirit. Many of the out patients wore their best pumpkin or car shirts. We had a lot of Halloween themed articles and games we did with the patients to make this week a little bit lighter. Everyone seemed to be in a great mood and very open with discussion. In the positive attitude group we talked about issues with roommates and friends. Two of the patients really opened up about their situation. One did seem to have paranoid ideas about being bullied. When asked who and why people were bullying he said " they aren't saying anything to me, i can just tell that they are ". this was said by a patient that hardly ever talks and it was great to hear him open up. Happy Halloween everyone!
11/1-11/7
This week was very educational, Mondays group seemed to on edge and not really responsive. The group didn't really seem to want to participate, the fall tends to be the time of the year the patients are more prone to being upset and angry. Tuesdays group we talked about recovery and things to help stay on track, the group leader Jeanette, asked each member in group what they think is most important in recovery. Medication seemed to be the most popular. Many times during group a few of the patients walked out, asked where they were going, and didn't come back. A lot of these patients can function on their own but still have a hard time following rules, and obeying others. Thursdays group was interesting. A man who i have seen at new beginnings before and is not allowed out of the hospital showed up in our group. He was very distracting and was aggravating other patients. He starting fighting with a women patient next to him which got her upset. He seems to hit himself when he is misbehaving and yells out things randomly. The group leaders then got a phone call saying somehow he had gotten out and someone was going to get him. This is scary to think because he could of hurt someone and/or himself. His behavior was manic and psychotic because he stopped taking his medicine after dismissal from the hospital. This was interesting to see and really shined the light of how bad people can get without the medication.
11/8-11/14
This was a simple week, Monday's group ran great, patients seemed to respond well to the article Elizabeth brought it. Many of the patients still just sit their and sleep or walk around, but their are a handful who engage and keep the conversation going. Thanksgiving is coming up and a couple of the patients received day passes to see their family. Tuesday group we talked about Veterans Day, we talked about soldiers and things they go through, this brought up alot about how we should all live are life, that we can be thankful we are safe, and people love and care for us. This brought a couple patients to talk about loved ones in the military and who fought in wars. Some shared stories about their fathers or grandfathers. It was a great day. Thursday was very interesting, we did a big group day and did some activities to celebrate Veterans Day. One group activity was to see how many words you can make out of REMEMBRANCE DAY. This sometimes was difficult for the patients but seemed to get their blood flowing. One thing I paid attention to was waiting for your turn. Some did not seem to like waiting to go around the table so they would shout out, or make noises to be called on. Some seemed to like to take words already said and use them for their own. But all in all everyone participated and some of the words were tough! Seemed to be and all around positive week.
11/15-11/21
This week was another great week, Monday's group was pretty successful and interesting. We talked about a Man who was a excellent hockey player and in his 20's he had a psychotic break and admitted into a psychiatric center. The story ended with the man being able to play hockey again in a minor league , therapy and medication helped him. This was a nice inspirational story for the group. Many of the patients seemed interested and attentive when telling this story. Nothing out of the ordinary happened today but I feel comfortable with the group, they seem to like to ask me questions and see how i am doing in school. I have to say i truly love being here. Tuesdays group was great, we talked about wants and needs. We had a sheet which gave the patients time to write down what they thought their wants and need were. Then we went around the table and shared. Many of the patients needs were : food, water, shelter, medication, family(support), clothes. And their wants were : Money, job, car, nice house, wife/husband, a lot of material things. This was interesting to see because a lot picture themselves having these things in the future, many are very positive with knowing they will be on their own again. Thursdays group was about the Chilean Minors, it was showing the struggles they had to go through. This really was something the group was interested in. Many of the patients kept asking questions and seemed to be really engaged in the discussion. One of the patients left abruptly and did not return to group, and another man seemed to get aggressive when elizabeth had to cut him off from talking. Later he went to another OT and complained and said that Elizabeth was out to get him and she didn't like him. They had to have a meeting later that day to straighten it out. interesting end to the week!
11/29-12/5
Monday was a good group. We talked about goals and what everyone's daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goal was. Everyone went around and said theirs, it was interested to see everyone's future goals because their daily and weekly were all the same. Future goals talked about getting out of the hospital, and
12/6-12/12
This week we worked on reading a story about a patient who used to be at BPC but is not a spokes person for Bipolar disorder. He was in the local paper with his story. In group we went around each read a paragraph. This in it self is an interesting time to watch behaviors. Many seem to pause randomly which in sense means that they aren't concentrating and are distracted by something. Others seem to fail to read along and distract themselves by doing other things. The story was inspiring and nice to read because he was a patient just like them. Some of the group knew who he was and commented more about him. This story touched one man in the group when he went on to say he has bipolar and would like to meet him. Luckily the group leaders told everyone that he was coming back here to speak and talk to the patients in January. Today's group went well and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Thursdays group we talked about holiday healthy foods. At new beginnings they do a fitness program for winter to try and encourage weight loss. Well this went hand in hand with the program. The article talked about healthy alternatives to snacking during the holidays, healthier cookies and drinks. Many of the patients talked about their favorite part of the Christmas season and foods they liked. It was a very positive group and a few of the patients signed up for the fitness program. With the holidays coming close, this is either a bad or good time for the patients. Many love that New Beginnings plays christmas tunes during the day and love decorating the place during hobbie group or free time. Others seem to be lonely and upset because of family issues and being in the hospital during this season. I have noticed that the long term patients seem to make the most of it and the younger and newer patients have a hard time dealing with it. I hope some day they can be with family again in their own homes.
12/13-12/19
